Ten years after its launch, the litre-class BMW S1000RR is set to get a major overhaul. When launched back in 2009, it was considered the best-equipped bike of its time and the quirky design was like no other. For 2019, the motorcycle is expected to feature redesigned bodywork, added equipment and a motor that is now more powerful and Euro-V compliant. This time around, the four-cylinder motor is likely to come with a counter-rotating crankshaft.
If the S1000RR does get the counter-rotating crankshaft, it will be one of the few production superbikes (alongside the Panigale V4) to have to this racing-inspired technology. This is said to have numerous benefits, as it cancels out some of the gyroscopic forces created by the wheels, resulting in more agility and easier handling. It also brings an inertia-linked advantage by working against the inertia created by the rear wheel. During acceleration, it reduces the tendency to wheelie, and it also helps during deceleration, with the crank’s inertia working against the rear wheel’s tendency to lift during aggressive braking.
The 2019 S1000RR is expected to continue using a 999cc motor, but heavily reworked to make more power. Since the bike is expected to hit the market in 2019, it’s likely to meet Euro-V emission norms, which will be implemented from 2020. When the bike was spotted testing last year, we noticed that it had considerable updates to other components as well. When having viewed the bike alongside the current model, the chassis, front brake, rear swingarm and suspension appeared all new as well. BMW had also recently showcased a new mass-production-ready carbon-fibre swingarm. And as we know, the super-expensive, track-only S1000RR HP4 RACE already uses carbon fibre for its frame. This leads us to believe that we could see the lightweight material being used on the upcoming motorcycle.
Expect BMW to unveil the bike fully at the end of the year, mostly during INTERMOT in October or EICMA in November. However, the bike will only hit the roads early next year. Another litre-class supersport that is also set to get a major overhaul for 2019 is the Aprilia RSV4, read more about it here.